Family of Mentally Ill Inmate Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Chrissie Cole

Contributor

0 CommentsPrint ArticleSubscribe

The family of a mentally ill inmate that died while in Dallas County Jail in 2005 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the county, Sheriff, five jail guards and a nurse, claiming neglect was a contributing factor to her death.

The lawsuit was filed by the inmate's children. The lawsuit states, the woman, 60, died in jail in November 2005 of pneumonia after the nurse and five guards refused to take her to the infirmary. The woman, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, spent more than a year in jail waiting for her trial prior to her death.

According to the lawsuit, the woman had not received any medical treatment during her time there. The guards found her lying on the floor in her own waste after she collapsed in her cell but they didn't take her to be examined.

The lawyer representing the family says this is not an isolated incident. The suit also seeks an injunction barring other inmates from being mistreated.

Additionally, the lawsuit alleges the county violated her rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act.